Prakash Ambedkar.
Credit: PTI Photo
In what comes as an important development, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi founder-president Prakash Ambedkar has invited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the Samvidhan Samman Mahasabha in Mumbai on 25 November.
The meeting comes on the eve of Constitution Day, which marks the adoption of the Constitution of India on 26 November, 1949.
While Gandhi is the great-grandson of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, Ambedkar is the grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution of India.
“Based on our respective commitment to fight the RSS-BJP, which solely exists to destroy the ethos and ideas of the Constitution, I extend the invitation of Samvidhan Samman Mahasabha to you on behalf of my party, VBA,” Ambedkar wrote to Gandhi pointing out that this would give the latter an opportunity to lakhs of people.
The Samvidhan Samman Mahasabha would be held at the historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park at Dadar in Mumbai, which is a stones throw distance away from Chaityabhoomi, where the last rites of Dr Ambedkar was performed. In fact, the grand memorial dedicated to Dr Ambedkar at the Indu Mill Compound, which is near the venue.
The Congress or Gandhi’s office has not yet responded to the formal invitation from VBA.
“The Constitution of India safeguarded the interests of discriminated, marginalised and minority communities of the country. The opening and last sentences of the Preamble: “We, the people….adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution” signifies the power of the Constitution vested in the hands of the people. To celebrate these Constitutional rights, which would not have been possible without Constitution of India, the Mahasabha has been organised to honour and celebrate both the Constitution and India’s founding ideals, which my grandfather, Dr B R Ambedkar, and your great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru and other founding fathers had envisioned for our country,” wrote Ambedkar, a former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha member.
He also said how the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh has supported Congress under Sonia Gandhi’s presidency while some other Congress leaders raised the issue of her “foreignness” - a statement that appeared to be a dig at NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.
It is pertinent to note that VBA, so far, has not been invited to be a part of the I.N.D.I.A opposition bloc.